Bond hearingsThe following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Wednesday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Nov. 13 in Circuit Court. • William Ross, 28, theft by receiving and a felon in possession of a firearm — $50,000. On Oct. 1, officers — while executing a search warrant on Ross' residence on another matter — found a handgun that was report...

ATU investigates threatsA misunderstanding gave some Arkansas Tech University (ATU) students a scare Monday evening. A bomb threat was sent via email to an ATU athletic coach Monday that threatened the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex, which was immediately evacuated and searched, according to an update on campus security email sent to students on Tuesday. Concern spread as students evacuated from the sports complex returned to their residence halls and told staff m...

53 pounds of pot seized in Pope CountyLONDON — The Arkansas State Police (ASP) arrested a California man Saturday after a K-9 unit alerted officers to the presence of illegal drugs inside a vehicle he was driving eastbound on Interstate 40. The trooper reported an odor of marijuana inside a 2010 Kia Forte he stopped around 11:50 a.m. The driver, Craig Watts, was "very nervous," according to a police report. After Watts, 25, denied the trooper permission to search the vehicle, an A...

Bond hearingsThe following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Nov. 3 in Circuit Court. • Savanna Veale, 21, theft of property — $10,000. Around 11:23 a.m. Saturday, Veale was leading a horse without a saddle along Crow Mountain Road, according to a police report. Veale reportedly told officers the horse ...

Suspect in realtor's death transferred to prison LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Pulaski County authorities say the suspect in the kidnapping and slaying of a real estate agent has been transferred from the county jail to the state prison system. County Sheriff Doc Holladay told reporters that Arron Michael Lewis, 33, was transferred to the Arkansas Department of Correction after his parole was revoked Friday. Lewis was paroled in Arkansas in August 2013 after serving time for theft. Lewis was arrested M...

Ferguson-related conference to feature Clinton LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A conference that organizers say is a response to the unrest in Ferguson will get under way next week at the Clinton Presidential Center. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder and former President Bill Clinton will open the forum on race relations and community policing. The U.S. Conference of Mayors is sponsoring the Wednesday and Thursday event. Forty mayors and 30 police chiefs wi...

Man gets 15 years in police chase MOUNTAIN HOME (AP) — An Arkansas man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a police chase that injured an officer. The Baxter Bulletin reported Rory Gregory, 53, took the plea deal Thursday in Baxter County court. He pleaded guilty to felony charges of second-degree battery, two counts of theft, fleeing and being a habitual offender. A Mountain Home officer engaged Gregory on Aug. 16 after an a...

Police: Food stolen from delivery truck JONESBORO (AP) — Police in Arkansas are searching for whoever stole nearly $1,000 worth of food from a Frito-Lay delivery truck. The Jonesboro Sun reported the theft was reported Monday. Police say the truck was parked inside a fenced-in Frito-Lay sales facility. They say peanuts, chips, popcorn, cheese dip and salsa were stolen. The delivery driver tells police the doors of the truck had been jammed before the theft and couldn't be locked. Po...

Bond hearingsThe following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Friday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Nov. 3 in Circuit Court. • Omer Harris, 55, burglary and theft of property — $15,000. An Atkins resident reported capturing someone on a game camera taking property from a residence between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sept. 19. An investigator wit...

Naked man rescued from Arkansas RiverA nude and intoxicated man was rescued from the Arkansas River on Saturday. According to a report from Dardanelle Police Chief Montie Sims, the Yell County Mounted Patrol responded to Veterans Riverfront Memorial Park in Dardanelle in reference to an intoxicated man who was naked and swimming in the Arkansas River. Later identified as Terry Johnson, the man was not compliant with a Dardanelle Police Officer when he requested him to swim to sho...

Man sentenced to 7 ½ years for child porn FAYETTEVILLE (AP) — A 54-year-old Lowell man has been sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison for receiving images of child pornography. U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge said Thursday that Timothy Hirschey was also sentenced to five years of supervised release after the prison term. Hirschey pleaded guilty in April to the charge in federal court. At sentencing, the government presented the court with evidence that Hirschey allegedly possessed more than ...

Ex-agency official pleads guilty in bribery scheme LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A former deputy director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services has pleaded guilty to providing official assistance in exchange for bribes from the owner of two mental health companies. Federal officials announced Thursday that Steven B. Jones, 29, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges. Jones, of Marion, will be sentenced April 2, 2015. According to his plea agreement, Jones solicited and accepted multip...

Wynne police to up presence at high school WYNNE (AP) — Officials say more police officers will be present next week at Wynne Senior High School after 17 students were involved in a fight. Wynne police say the fight broke out last Friday during a lunch period. No one was hurt in the fight, though school officials say a bystander twisted her ankle. School principal Keith Watson says the fight only last a few minutes and more than 10 teachers responded immediately. School officials say 1...

Police: Foreman man grew marijuana near downtown FOREMAN (AP) — Police have arrested a southwest Arkansas man who they say was growing at least $10,000 worth of marijuana plants near the center of Foreman. The Texarkana Gazette reported the 50-year-old man faces four drug-related charges. Foreman Marshal Alex Mathis said authorities found more than 10 plants growing in an abandoned lot across the street from a funeral home. He says the larger plants were tied down to make them less visible. ...

Convicted Texas baby sitter arrested locally VIDOR, Texas (AP) — A Southeast Texas woman who pleaded guilty to endangering a child after a 5-year-old she was baby-sitting fatally shot himself with her handgun has been arrested in Russellville after violating her probation. The Orange County sheriff's office said Melissa Ringhardt was arrested Thursday in Russellville, Arkansas. She was sentenced in February to four years of probation after pleading guilty. A warrant was issued for her in...

Bond hearingsThe following individual appeared during felony bond hearings Wednesday at the Pope County Detention Center. His name, age, anticipated charge and bond amount is listed. If charged, he will appear Nov. 3 in Circuit Court. • Shawn Crowe, 24, fourth-degree sexual abuse — $15,000. According to a police report, Crowe had sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl on at least two occasions since May. Crowe allegedly admitted to having sexual contact wi...

$1 million bond for suspectMiguel Thompson, 31, was ordered held in lieu of a $1 million bond on charges of committing a terroristic act and aggravated assault stemming from a July incident. Additionally, Thompson was ordered held in lieu of a $20,000 concurrent bond on charges of possession of a controlled substance with the purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and fleeing in connection with an incident that occurred Monday, and two counts of delivery o...

Escaped inmate caught near FOUKE (AP) — Arkansas prison officials say they have caught an escaped inmate who walked away from a work crew last week. A spokeswoman for the Department of Community Correction said officers caught 35-year-old Jeremy Pifer on Wednesday hiding in a shed near Fouke in southwestern Arkansas. Spokeswoman Dina Tyler said Pifer will go to Miller County where he will be questioned and then will be transferred to the Department of Correction. Arkans...

Funeral set for slain real estate agent NORTH LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Funeral services have been set for an Arkansas real estate agent who was found dead five days after she never returned from an appointment to show a house. Crye-Leike (lyke) Realtors said the funeral for Beverly Carter will be held Saturday morning at First Pentecostal Church in North Little Rock. The real estate company says Carter was the firm's top listing agent and that she had "an infectious laugh that brightened ...

Police: 2 arrested in Fort Smith shooting death FORT SMITH (AP) — Fort Smith police have arrested two suspects connected to a shooting that killed one man and critically injured his brother. The Southwest Times Record reported a 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy were arrested Tuesday. They are still searching for another 15-year-old boy in connection to the Saturday slaying of 35-year-old Christopher Morris. Police say the shooting occurred after a victim grabbed a shotgun following a v...